The Top 4 African American Skin Care Issues, Solved

Keloids, eczema, hyperpigmentation -- dark skin is especially prone to certain skin conditions. Do you know how to treat them?

The Fix Shaving, tweezing and waxing exacerbate the skin and increase the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. If you want to prevent ingrown hairs while shaving, pick a razor with multiple blades and use a lotion or toner with salicylic acid after you shave. "Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that loves going down the hair follicle," Palm says. "It chemically exfoliates the hair so it doesn't get gunked up and clogged and begin to curve back into the skin during regrowth."

If the condition worsens and leads to folliculitis (an infection of the hair follicle), it can lead to a keloid (raised scar). "If you have this severe of a case, laser hair removal is a great option," Palm says. "You just need to ensure that whoever is doing the treatment has the appropriate wavelength to treat dark skin." According to Palm, the gold standard is a Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nanometers, which is longer than the wavelength typically used on Caucasian skin tones. "The longer the wavelength, the better it is for darker skin."